Finally Me ~

Chapter 80

**Alex's POV**

"What's happened?" I ask. Kingsley looks at Mrs Weasley.

"Perhaps it would be easier from you," he says. I feel as if the rest of the world disappears as I stare at Mrs Weasley. She holds out the Daily Prophet and I take it. As soon as I look down the headline catches my eye.

Wanted Muggleborns.

I'm fourth on the list, picture and all, although how they got a picture of me, I don't know. I breathe out. It's not as bad as I thought, I knew this would happen.

"Well, we knew this would happen," I say, looking up at them. Mrs Weasley glances at Mr Weasley.

"Well, Alex, there's more," she begins gently, "they went looking at your house and, well. . ."

She stops, not knowing what to say.

"And?" I prompt, anxiety twisting in me again.

"It was destroyed," Mr Weasley finishes.

I feel shock shudder through me. Shock and disbelief. They can't have destroyed the house, not my house. Not the house I grew up in.

Someone puts an arm around my waist and guides me towards a chair, but I don't want to sit down.

"I have to go home," I say, my voice sounding high and strained. I feel like there is water rushing past my ears, I can hear my heart beating in my chest.

"I have to go home," I repeat, looking around, "I-I have to. I have to go home."

Mrs Weasley starts to tell me to wait, that I need to get over the shock, but I look around at others, trying to find support. Scarlett has a frown on her face, George is looking at the ground. I look to Kingsley. There's something abut him I like, something that makes me trust him. He watches me for a few moments, then nods.

"She should go back," he says, "not alone, but send those three with her. They can handle it."

He bids us all goodbye and disappears. Mrs Weasley starts to fret and protest us going, but Fred steps in.

"Mum," he says firmly, "we're going."

He takes me by the shoulders and looks me straight in the eye.

"I'll be back in a moment, have you got your wand?"

"Of-of course," I nod. He goes upstairs and Scarlett's arm replaces his around my waist. She leans her head softly on my shoulder. I shake my head, trying to clear it, but the fog presses in. Fred returns with our jackets. I take mine and walk outside. The rush of cool air fills my lungs and I feel a little better. I pull my jacket on and walk across the yard. The others catch up at the gate and we all walk a few metres into the field to where we can disapparate. I hold my hands out and feel two different hands take them. One strong and slightly rough, the other soft but firm. I turn on the spot, squeezing my eyes shut.

When I stop I open my eyes and see the alley that's a few houses down from us. Fred's hand tightens around mine, but I can't find the strength to hold his back. We walk out of the alley and I walk up towards my house. Just before it comes into view I pull my hand from Fred's and start to run. The house next door blocks the view of my house, but as I round it I feel as if I run into a wall. I can see right across the backyard to th row of trees with swings in them. The house hasn't been completely destroyed, it looks like a fire went through it, but a part of the upstairs, the part over the kitchen, is still standing. I heard footsteps behind me, but ignore them, walking across the garden that is littered with bits of the house. All that's going through my head is 'Thank God we got them out, thank God we got them out'.

I reach the point where the front door used to be and stop. The ground is covered with burnt wood and furniture. I step carefully into the rubble and walk up where the hall was. There's still a bit of wall hiding my bedroom. I pick my way down to it. The door is closed and when I push on it if falls off its hinges and onto the floor. I close my eyes, picturing the way I left my room. The bed on my left with it's green patterned quilt, the pale green walls, the picture of the girls at the Yule Ball on the wall next to the family portraits that had been taken each year since Tyler and Michael were born, arranged in a grid. My closet in the corner, white with soft silver trimmings. I slowly open my eyes, revealing the truth.

The bed is covered with a sheet of ash and the wall behind is gone. The cupboard doors have been torn off and the inside is burnt. I walk over to the bed and carefully pick up the quilt. It disintergrates. Underneath I see a glimpse of pink. I tug on it and my teddy bear that I've had since the day I was born appears from under the ash. I dust her off and press her to my cheek. I move around to where the photos would have been. There's a pile of broken, empty frame. Only one photo is visable, the first full family portrait we had when I was only a few months old. It's charred around the edges, but I can see them all. Next is my closet. All of my clothes are dust, but at the very bottom a wooden box is burnt, but intact. I open it up and see the crystal slippers my grandmother gave to me. I pick up the box, put the photo and the bear on top and walk back out to the hall. Fred, Scarlett and George are standing in what's left of the living room. I silently hand the box, photo and teddy to Fred and move through the rest of the ground floor. I find my mother's handheld mirror in the bathroom and give that to Fred too. I walk over to the stairs.

"Be careful," Scarlett calls softly.

"Can you hold it up?" I ask them, still looking at the bottom stair. There's a small rush of wind as their charms move past me and the stairs creak for a moment. Carefully, I begin to climb them, one stair then pause, one stair then pause. When I reach the top I look around. The roof is gone and the wind brushes through my hair. I pick my way into my old room. One of the bunks is still standing and there's a book poking out from under one of the pillows. I pull it out and let it fall open in my hands. Inside is a picture of Nick, Noah and I take at Michael and Tahlia's wedding. They each have an arm around me. It's one of the ones I used a potion on to make it move. As I watch they both lean in and kiss me on my cheeks as I laugh.

A tear drop runs down my nose. I tuck it inside the book and tuck the book inside my jumper. I look around the upstairs, but everything else is destroyed. I make my way downstairs, back to the others. As they lift their wands the upstairs collapses in on itself. I take the box, other photo and teddy back from Fred and walk back to the alley. I know the others are following. We all disapparate one after the other. I arrive back and walk straight upstairs. I put my belongings under the bed then walk out again.

I walk into the middle of the field and breakdown. I feel like my stomach has been ripped out. I collapse on my hands and knees and cry.

                 

I wake up two days later and sigh. I just want to go back to sleep, but that's what I did yesterday, so I figure I should at least get out of bed. I drag myself up and get some clothes to have a shower. When I'm getting dressed I notice my shirt is tighter than usual. I walk back into the bedroom where Scarlett is brushing her hair.

"Do I look like I've gained weight?" I ask. Scarlett rolls her eyes.

"Nope," she says. I frown.

"I feel bloated," I say, looking in the mirror. Scarlett looks over at me. Her gaze drops to my stomach and her eyes widen.

"What?" I ask.

"Al," she says, "are you pregnant?"

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So, what do you guys reckon? Pregnant? Series of coincidences? Let me know what you think, and if you think she's pregnant, do you want her to have twins or one and what genders? Comment, vote, message, thanks for reading ;)